I'm the daughter of a man who did not feel it was safe to move back to Talladega Alabama with his white wife and two bi-racial children after distinguished military service as a US Army Captain and Green Beret -

In 1978.
It really did NOT come from the media. It started when I was 3 years old and living in Weisbaden, West Germany. A guy was running for President in 1976. His name was Ronald Reagan. He related to a group of Mississippi Voters the story of this welfare queen . . . from the 'South Side of Chicago'. South Side of Chicago in 1976 AND now is code word for 'black people'. It came from ONE side and ONLY ONE SIDE that did it - the Republicans. They've told this lie over and over and over and over again.

It's the 'reality' that many white Americans know - REGARDLESS of their region. They believe it. And they are the power structure in the South. You have pockets of liberalism and inclusion - but Atlanta and Austin aren't enough to make the change.

There are moves to disenfranchise minorities going on in the south. I wait and hold my breath that the SCOTUS is not going to send ALL of us to the back of bus. But if they let the 'South' have their way - that's what is going to happen . .. to all of us. Check out what went down in Philadelphia this past Presidential Election. It's like a 1956 time warp.

There is also a move from ONE side - NOT the media - to undo what the Civil Rights Era DID. And that was to assert the authority of the Federal Government. And their efforts are already working - have you seen who my Governor is lately? And what he stands for? And who voted for him? It's a very Everyone For Themselves State of Mind in NJ lately.

Point blank - I'm supporting someone other than Booker in our Primary as a matter of principle. No doubt - he (Booker) will win the General Election. I will be canvassing and making calls for both he and Barbara Buono (Gov Race - solid progressive - knows first hand poverty and working ones way up from it). If I knock on the door and show your map in Camden, Newark, Jersey City, the Oranges, Atlantic City - I will get the door slammed in my face.

It won't work to get Booker elected to the US Senate - and I need to be able to sneak Buono info in on that canvassing. It won't resonate to a poor black single mother living in Jersey City. It simply won't.

You know how you are on a plane - and the flight crew is giving safety information. And they tell you about the oxygen masks?

Put yours on your face first and then help others. Well -I'm doing AOK in this economy. Seriously. So I first have to turn to the people in the seat next to me and help them get their oxygen masks on. Then I can move up the front of the plane and help those folks.

I truly believe poverty has to be addressed in the WEALTHIEST states in order to provide a roadmap for the poorer states. We have the means to help those down the road from us and in the 'shadows' of wealth. We can do it WITHOUT needing ANY help from members of the House or Senate from the South that might for instance -

Want to attach rules around school lunch programs and backpack programs (food for the weekend) about gender roles being taught in the classroom. Or prayer taught in the classroom. Or limiting abortion rights for teachers in public schools while making rules that they must be fired if they have a child out of wedlock.

We can do it here without the onus of the Moral Majority and Christian Coalition. And until the South realizes that Christie and Scott Brown aside - we are rejecting anything to do with God and Morality in the public sector in our neck of the woods -it's going to be very hard to come to agreement.

I'm not saying what you have posted is a pipe dream. I just don't think it can happen Right Now - at this minute. It's just not going to happen. I supported Edwards in 2008 because he actually said the word Loud and Proud: Poverty. But without a champion for it Nationally - I can't wait for that . . . I've got hungry people coming to the Bound Brook NJ Food Bank this Saturday and I've got to worry about my neighbors first. I'm sorry.

Yeah - I'm pretty ticked. We the tax payers of NJ are being asked to fund Republican Political games at a cost of up to $24 Million dollars.

Really trying to find the cost to JUST add a few names to the November ballot as opposed to doing everything from the print/mail of the Sample Ballot to finding Poll Workers 2 months in a row.

Any DU'ers in outside of NJ who have experienced this? I.E. Back to back elections? Are you in a defined by the media Red or Blue State? Real time experience?

I'm a GOTV'er and will volunteering on both the Gov and Senate race - as well as volunteering for my preferred primary candidate.

Chances of voter fatigue by us coming through several times?

The U.S. Senate race in October appears likely to result in even lower turnout, currently pegged at about 40% compared to a more typical 46% to 48% turnout. The Monmouth University Poll’s likely voter model is based on a combination of past voting history from voter registration files and self-reported intention to vote in either the October special election or the November general election.

The poll finds that Democrats are more likely to opt for voting in the October Senate race over November’s gubernatorial and legislative election. If forced to choose to vote in only one election, 73% of likely New Jersey voters say they would cast their ballot in the regular general election to 20% who prefer the special Senate election. Democrats (26%) are more likely than Republicans (14%) to choose the special election.

“Low turnout normally benefits a Republican, so the Democratic nominee will need a boost from supporters more interested in the Senate race to maintain the party’s normal edge in Garden State elections,” said Murray. “This could also translate to fewer Democratic voters in November, which will serve to pump up Gov. Christie’s already daunting lead.”

New Jersey voters, specifically those likely to show up at one or both of this fall’s elections, are not particularly happy with the governor’s decision to call a special election to fill the vacant Senate seat, he added. Just 30% of likely voters approve of this decision to 42% who disapprove, while 24% say it doesn’t really matter to them. Seven-in-ten likely voters (70%) say they have heard that this series of special elections could cost the state up to $24 million and 75% say that this cost bothers them. Only 18% are not bothered by the cost of running these extra elections. Nearly two-thirds of likely voters (65%) say it would be better to vote for U.S. Senate on the same day as the November governor’s election. Just 23% prefer holding the Senate ballot at a separate election.

TRENTON — A coalition of government watchdog groups and left-leaning organizations today filed briefs in support of a lawsuit seeking to block Gov. Chris Christie from holding an Oct. 16 special election for the seat left vacant by the death of U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg.

NJ Citizen Action and NJ Communities United said Christie's decision to spend $12 million on a special election just three weeks before the November general election was a waste of taxpayer dollars and could disenfranchise voters. Christie has said it's worth whatever it costs to install a new Senator quickly.

On Friday, the chairwoman of the Somerset County Democrats, Peg Schaffer, challenged Christie’s authority to call for the election, calling it illegal and an attempt to suppress the vote. Schaffer said her law firm asked for and was granted permission by the state appellate division to file a motion for emergent relief.

“As New Jersey’s largest citizen watchdog organization, we felt it was important to do what we can to ensure our members and the public have a voice and real opportunity to participate in a fair election for the open US Senate seat,” Phyllis Salowe-Kaye, executive director of New Jersey Citizen Action, said in a statement. "The governor’s decision to hold the special election less than three weeks before the regularly scheduled general election could cause voter confusion and disenfranchise newly registered voters as their registrations might not make it into the voting rolls by October 16."

But here’s where the game gets underhanded. A special election for a single seat held on a Wednesday in October represents a recipe for low turnout. That’s good for Republicans. A putative candidate Booker would likely have to mount a major turnout effort almost three weeks before the general election. Many of those Democrats won’t turn out twice. The statewide Republicans’ expected Nov. 5 landslide remains on schedule.

The Democrats are crying foul. Somerset County Democratic chair Peg Schaffer is suing to halt the election on the grounds that Christie’s goal in calling it was to suppress turnout.

She certainly got that right. But Christie is a smart lawyer who has a whole lot of other smart lawyers working for him. They had that angle covered before they called the election. If turnout turns out to be low, that’s politics.

At the link is a video of Reverend Al interviewing a woman and her Attorney - She was picked up for a $150 traffic ticket in Jasper, TX on Sunday May 5th. Hopefully the link works. Basically she takes a beating because she doesn't have the $150 to pay the ticket. No audio so we can't hear the exchange.

The two officers we're fired - but it begs the question - What else is going on down there. A whistle blower released the tape - but what if they had not? I can't believe this is the first time this happened.

As a reminder - Jasper TX is where James Byrd was dragged for a few miles in 1998 by truck until he was beheaded.

My husband does not 'schtup' me.
My father did not 'schtup' his wife of more than 40 years.
There is NO difference in the love my husband feels for me than the love my father felt for my mother.
There is NO difference in the RESPECT these two men had and have for ALL women.

I'm going to come into this group and share the story of one man, and one woman who happened to fall in love and get married and for whom the color of our skin had no bearing on that decision.

See - This man - it's not just about 'conquering' me or sex. Or some weird fantasy about 'black women'. Or about making a statement. Or about showing how 'down' he is with the ins and outs of racism in America.

It was about saying "I do". And the laughter is about me asking for my obnoxious engagement ring (family heirloom from my Father In Law - his mother's first piece of good jewelry for giving HIS father all of those boys) back after he put the wedding band on because it was 'expensive'. And yes - that's Mitchell Meged of Four Weddings.

And then we walked around Stockton NJ for a bit to take pictures. And it was hot on April 15, 2012. But our photographer caught a 'sweet kiss'.

And then these two people danced to You've Got What It Takes. It was really the only 'nod' to our mixed race RELATIONSHIP (not to be confused with relations of the sexual 'Jezebel' stereotype variety. Listen to Michael Buble's version and see if you 'get it'.

And it was sad that lot of my husband's family couldn't come over. His father was very ill and there was a death of another family member . .. and my dad missed it because he passed away the previous August. But this is what a 'mixed race' family looks like on a very very happy day:

See - it happens every day. And unless one LIVES it - they don't know what they are talking about. They can stop talking now. And stop writing now. Go talk about the economy. Go talk about torture. Go talk about guns. But if you do not WALK this WALK - please shut up and don't even try to Talk your Talk.

Nod to Tyson Trish if you are in the Tri-State Area. He's amazing. And we are on his website. And he uses us to 'sell' his service. Because he picks people whose TRUE LOVE shines through.